1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to grain elevator spouts. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable grain elevator spout which can be remotely moved back and forth in order to fill a wagon or truck without moving the wagon during the loading.
2. Problems in the Art
When filling a truck or wagon with grain using a typical prior art grain elevator, several disadvantages are encountered. A prior art nonadjustable elevator spout places the grain in a single area of the wagon. This results in an uneven load with the grain being piled higher at the point it comes out of the elevator spout. The only way to overcome this problem is to move the truck forward or backward during the loading of the truck. As a result, the user must climb into the truck, start it and move it forward or backwards. This may be required several times during a load. Not only is this an inconvenience, but it unnecessarily uses fuel and causes unnecessary wear to the truck.
There have been several attempts in the prior art to solve this problem. One prior art system used a pivotal non-flexible spout which could be moved back and forth along a track by turning a crank. Other prior art systems utilized a pivotal non-flexible spout which could be moved back and forth by activating a motor or turning a crank. However, these prior art systems were cumbersome and limited. These systems were permanently mounted to buildings so could only be used for unloading bins from that particular building. Also, these systems were only able to move in two directions along a straight line.
Other prior art systems use a flexible spout which can be moved back and forth. The systems are also limited in that they cannot be remotely controlled, and also can just move in two directions along a straight line.